Project Description Narrative:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a significant Wisconsin public health problem, affecting 6,000 people per year. Even in the most efficient EMS systems, victims who receive their first compression after EMS arrival have low survival rates. However, if bystanders provide CPR prior to EMS arrival, survival rates can double or triple. Following a successful pilot project in Milwaukee County, project partners seek to expand efforts to change the infrastructure of all 9-1-1 call centers in Wisconsin to provide every 9-1-1 caller the opportunity to increase cardiac arrest survival through dispatcher-provided, just-in-time CPR instructions. Community partners:American Heart Association, Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Program, National Association for EMS Physicians Wisconsin Chapter, Project ADAM, Professional Ambulance Association, Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association